Formal audiences

On Thursday 16 February, formal audiences were held at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

During the ceremony, the ambassadors present their letters of credence, a document from the respective head of state to The King, which gives them the formal right to operate in Sweden from that point.

The new ambassador for Paraguay is José Emilio Gorostiaga Peña, whose most recent post was as chargé d'affaires e.p. in Stockholm.

The new ambassador for Morocco is Yadih Bouchaab, whose most recent post was as ambassador in Norway.

The new ambassador for Sudan is Abu Bakr Hussein, whose most recent post was as Director-General for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The new ambassador for Ireland is James Joseph Carroll, whose most recent post was as Ireland's representative to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.

The formal audience is a ceremony steeped in tradition. The ambassador is collected from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in one of the Royal Mews' carriages and driven to the Royal Palace of Stockholm. The King and the ambassador then conduct private talks lasting about fifteen minutes.